STAR TREK- TMP wrist communicators (...and now with more TMP goodies!)

[Gregatron]

Well, golly, I was ALMOST done, and then the trigger nozzle of the spray foam I bought today broke right off when I was testing it. I’ll have to return and replace it when I get a chance.

Meanwhile, here’s the almost-finished buckle, now with the backplate and elastic straps installed.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Well, golly, I was ALMOST done, and then the trigger nozzle of the spray foam I bought today broke right off when I was testing it. I’ll have to return and replace it when I get a chance.

Meanwhile, here’s the almost-finished buckle, now with the backplate and elastic straps installed.


View attachment 1620344View attachment 1620345View attachment 1620346

Great job—I love the TMP “Belly Warmers”.

 

[Gregatron]

Great job—I love the TMP “Belly Warmers”.

Thanks! While the concept is a bit too “Big Brother”-ish, with computers constantly monitoring one’s vital signs (and that may well be why the concept was dropped), the prop is still cool. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see it in action, with the smoked-plexi screens displaying medical information.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Thanks! While the concept is a bit too “Big Brother”-ish, with computers constantly monitoring one’s vital signs (and that may well be why the concept was dropped), the prop is still cool. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see it in action, with the smoked-plexi screens displaying medical information.

The idea always made total sense to me as this would give constant vital sign monitoring of Landing Party personnel.

As a matter of fact, I never understood how Trek ‘09 showed the USS Kelvin monitoring their captain’s vitals with no such device on the uniform. I guess everyone had subcutaneous monitoring devices inside their bodies in that timeline?

 

[Gregatron]

The idea always made total sense to me as this would give constant vital sign monitoring of Landing Party personnel.

As a matter of fact, I never understood how Trek ‘09 showed the USS Kelvin monitoring their captain’s vitals with no such device on the uniform. I guess everyone had subcutaneous monitoring devices inside their bodies in that timeline?

View attachment 1620354

Awhile back, I mentioned to a friend (who is a new fan of the franchise, thanks to me) that the wrist communicator and the perscan belly warmer are basically the 1979 versions of an Apple Watch and a Fitbit.

The feedback loop of STAR TREK technology eventually becoming reality never ceases to amaze me.

 

[Gregatron]

With the bio-buckle done, my thoughts have been drifting back to the tricorders. Still a few details to work out. Can’t find a proper font match to those head markings, dagnabbit. And I’d like more data/reference images on the Spock hero’s head. Also still trying to work out the details of the data chips, but literally that one shot in the film appears to the the only available reference.

The plan has tentatively been to build a Spock-style (non-folding) hero and a Decker-style full-hero (with folding head and opening chip door, although the real Decker prop did not have those features). That being said, I could also go for an accurate folding-head hero (with the markings and details not seen on any other prop), but that’s a little obscure to spend so much effort on, and I prefer the detailing of the other hero props, anyway. I could also easily do a McCoy hero (since that appears to be the most well-documented prop), but the problem is that I have no reference on the scanner trench. Just the top/front/side views we’ve seen for years in the studio reference images of the prop.

I suppose I could also do an idealized hero version combining the best details of all versions (folding head/opening door, a consistent Eurostile font on the head’s markings, just like on the HMS prop, and the added black rectangle markings on the sides of the McCoy prop), too.

Decisions, decisions. Any info or images anyone can provide to help button these details up would be appreciated.


I also intend to return to my incomplete TMP phaser model to complete the set, but that’s a ways down the road.

 

[Ronldheld]

Have you found any useful images on Trekcore?

 

[Gregatron]

Have you found any useful images on Trekcore?

A few. There’s actually a great, high-res publicity image of Nimoy holding the tricorder, but the lighting is such that the scanner trench is mostly washed-out by reflection.

While searching online, I actually noted a photo of a similar angle from that same photoshoot on the packaging of a TMP Spock decanter, of all things, but haven’t found a good scan or photo of it.

 

[LabMan]

A few. There’s actually a great, high-res publicity image of Nimoy holding the tricorder, but the lighting is such that the scanner trench is mostly washed-out by reflection.

While searching online, I actually noted a photo of a similar angle from that same photoshoot on the packaging of a TMP Spock decanter, of all things, but haven’t found a good scan or photo of it.

I have that decanter with its box. I'm not sure that it will be particularly helpful but here's a close-up of the tricorder in the picture on the side of the box.

 

[Gregatron]

That IS helpful! Just trying to get accurate placement of the elements in relation to each other, and a frontal view without all that reflection will help!

Thanks!

 

[Benjo]

Awesome thread ! I love ST TMP props.

Looks great!

The only advice I will give is related to the Tricorder scanning head. This area is actually a decal—a cut-down decal from the Stunt TMP Phaser control pad graphics.

View attachment 1609853View attachment 1609852

One thing though, if Imay. The phaser-like detail on the tricorder isn't a decal, in TMP the two bars are actually stuck greeblies rather than decals, at least on the hero version. The phaser on the post is a TWOK version where they used decals but you can check the TMP version below:

Thing is, the detail on the tricorder is actually a kind of decal but I'm pretty sure I have seen another prop with the same two bars stuck rather than drawn on a decal, it was a kind of medical scanner but I can't find back any picture of it.

just my two cents

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Awesome thread ! I love ST TMP props.



One thing though, if Imay. The phaser-like detail on the tricorder isn't a decal, in TMP the two bars are actually stuck greeblies rather than decals, at least on the hero version. The phaser on the post is a TWOK version where they used decals but you can check the TMP version below:

View attachment 1633492
View attachment 1633493View attachment 1633494

Thing is, the detail on the tricorder is actually a kind of decal but I'm pretty sure I have seen another prop with the same two bars stuck rather than drawn on a decal, it was a kind of medical scanner but I can't find back any picture of it.
View attachment 1633495


just my two cents

The decal in question is from the vacufom stunt phasers. The same stunt models from TWOK have their origin in the production of TMP (one is seen with an upside down decal on the belt of Ensign Perez in the Ilia Probe shower scene…)

(Surviving model from TWOK below)

 

[Gregatron]

From what I can tell, the hero phasers had raised brass(?) strips, the hero/stunt tricorders had metallic gold decals, and the dummy phasers had plain, orange-y decals to simulate the gold look. The folding-head hero tricorder obviously had different detailing than the more familiar, non-folding heroes, and so it omitted the rectangular details entirely.

Correct me if I’m wrong!

Images of the surviving Decker TMP hero tricorder were privately shared with me (but I can’t show them), and the scanner trench has a decal with metallic gold ink akin to the one on the dummy seen in Benjo’s post (although the specifics of that stunt decal actually match the Spock hero, with the clear/gray pinstripe, rather than the white of Decker hero).

 

[Benjo]

From what I can tell, the hero phasers had raised brass(?) strips, the hero/stunt tricorders had metallic gold decals, and the dummy phasers had plain, orange-y decals to simulate the gold look. The folding-head hero tricorder obviously had different detailing than the more familiar, non-folding heroes, and so it omitted the rectangular details entirely.

Correct me if I’m wrong!

Images of the surviving Decker TMP hero tricorder were privately shared with me (but I can’t show them), and the scanner trench has a decal with metallic gold ink akin to the one on the dummy seen in Benjo’s post (although the specifics of that stunt decal actually match the Spock hero, with the clear/gray pinstripe, rather than the white of Decker hero).

Just to confirm the decals thing, orange decals ont the stunt phaser with the upside down model mentioned above. the same used for the TWOK versions. I guess you all have better reference material but here it is in case it might help. I also found a picture of decals with the name "Brick Price" on it, the propmaker who worked on TMP. It's said to be original from production but I don't know what to think.

 

[Gregatron]

Working on the Kirk insignia pin. A simple build. JB Welded in two butterfly-clasp pins. Now in the priming/filling stage. There are some print lines and whatnot to take care of.

Meanwhile, still woriking out tricorder details. In theory, the models are essentially done, but it’s the fine details and the choices of which versions to actually build that are holding me back.

 

[Gregatron]

After taking another look at the TMP 4K disc, I’m thinking that the tricorder data chips were basically just miniature, solidly-colored versions of the TOS data cards. Plain and simple, without the pseudo-isolinear chip look of the HMS version.


And I’m now thinking of maybe doing both a Spock hero (with no working/moving parts, and the accurate lettering fonts) and a sort of “super-hero”, idealized version (with moving parts, idealized/consistent lettering font, and a mix of detailing from the Spock/Decker/McCoy heroes).

Also…should I be thinking about installing electronics? Would it be that hard to install real LEDs? I mean, it’s just a few steady-on lights and then some crazy-random blinkers. I have some soldering and electronic experience, the circuit timing stuff is what’s new to me.

 

[Gregatron]

Finished Admiral Kirk’s insignia pin. Certainly more accurate than the recent FanSets offering.

The 3D print was filled and sanded smooth, then painted with a black base color, then metallic gold. Each layer was carefully polished. The final clearcoat was Pledge Floor Gloss (aka Future).

 

[saberdance]

After taking another look at the TMP 4K disc, I’m thinking that the tricorder data chips were basically just miniature, solidly-colored versions of the TOS data cards. Plain and simple, without the pseudo-isolinear chip look of the HMS version.


And I’m now thinking of maybe doing both a Spock hero (with no working/moving parts, and the accurate lettering fonts) and a sort of “super-hero”, idealized version (with moving parts, idealized/consistent lettering font, and a mix of detailing from the Spock/Decker/McCoy heroes).

Also…should I be thinking about installing electronics? Would it be that hard to install real LEDs? I mean, it’s just a few steady-on lights and then some crazy-random blinkers. I have some soldering and electronic experience, the circuit timing stuff is what’s new to me.

Any developments in the tricorder lately?????

 

[saberdance]

Any developments in the tricorder lately????

 

[Gregatron]

Any developments in the tricorder lately?????

Been doing some more R & D on it, lately. Planning on getting back to it, relatively soon.